Ajmer Dargah Cleric Salman Chishti Arrested For Call To Behead Nupur Sharma Over 'Blasphemy'

Ajmer Dargah Khadim Salman Chishti, who on camera offered his house to anyone who beheads former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for alleged 'blasphemy', has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a video of Ajmer Dargah Khadim Salman Chishti emerged on various social media platforms in which he announced a bounty on Nupur Sharma. In the video, Chishti said that he would hand over his house to anyone who brought Sharma’s head.

The Ajmer police had registered an FIR against Khadim Salman Chisti on Monday night.

''Salman Chisti was caught last night (Tuesday)... He is a history-sheeter at the Dargah police station,'' an official said.

In the video, the cleric is purportedly seen and heard announcing he would gift his house to anyone who brings Sharma's head to him. Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting Mohammed, whom the Muslims regard as their prophet.

''You have to give a reply to all Muslim countries. I am saying this from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and this message is from Huzur Khwaja Baba ka darbar,'' he is seen and heard saying in the video, referring to the Sufi shrine that sees many Hindu visitors, apart from Muslim devotees.

Salman Chishti stoked a controversy on an earlier occasion expressing his to supports the radical Islamist organisation PFI claiming that they are 'struggling to save the constitution’ and ‘protect the rights of Muslims in India’.

Last week, four people were arrested in connection with another provocative speech allegedly delivered at the main gate of the Ajmer dargah on June 17.

Though that video was in circulation earlier, the arrests were made following the killing of an Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal by two men, who said they were avenging an insult to Islam.

The two men were, however, caught by the police when they were fleeing on a motorcycle in Rajsamand. In all, five people have been arrested in connection with the murder case, which is being handled by the National Investigation Agency.

(With inputs from PTI)